Abide With Me
by xxDark-Elfxx
Summary: Little Continuum fic I started prior to the movie coming out, and just got around to posting here. Thanks and a nod to CleotheMuse, she knows why. Oh, yeah, CONTINUUM SPOILERS!


**A/N: Like the summary says, I started this before 'Continuum' came out, so I was imagining how Daniel lost his leg. Personally, I like mine better. But then, again, I wrote it. ; ) The title is from my trusty thesaurus which lists endurence as a synonym for continuum and another word for endurence is abide. -Elf**

**Abide With Me**

"_Abide with me from morn to eve,  
__For without Thee I cannot live:  
Abide with me when night is nigh.  
For without Thee I dare not die." _

_-John Keble_

A flash of light and everything turned dark, no sound save a wordless cry that ripped impossibly from his throat. Searing pain, like a thousand staff blasts hitting him at once, over and over, in waves of agony. Waves radiating from somewhere down his left side, no, radiating up, up his thigh and across his hips, setting fire to every nerve along the way. And farther down, below his knee, it felt wrong, completely and overwhelmingly _wrong._

Blindly, he reached down, touching blood and bone and jarring, shocking emptiness.

"Daniel!"

Hands now, strong and shaking him, pushing against his chest, and he couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't get away, not now, not anymore.

"Damn it, Daniel, wake up!"

A stinging slap on his cheekbone and Daniel bolted upright in the infirmary bed, sucking in sweet oxygen and staring into Vala's worry-filled grey eyes. Eyes that didn't light up with cold, alien hate, eyes that didn't look to Ba'al instead of him, beautiful, wonderful, troublemaking Vala eyes.

Memories came flooding back, like always, in bits and pieces, battles and running and oh, god. He flung the blankets back, ripping out his IV, to see two legs, two whole, complete legs, and he didn't even try to hold back the sob of relief that rose in his chest.

"Doctor Jackson! Vala, what happened?" He caught a glimpse of a nurse in the doorway before Vala stepped in front of him, blocking him from view.

"He's fine. Just a little accident. I think you may want to let General O'Neill know he's awake though, I believe he was headed for the commissary." Vala's tone allowed no room for questions and the sound of the nurse's footsteps quickly faded. She turned back to him and reached for the discarded blanket.

"Not that I'm complaining, darling, but let's not flash the entire base, shall we? You've got to keep some mystery about you." He leaned back and let her fuss over the covers, watching the way her hands smoothed out the wrinkles, tucking the edges under his legs with uncomplicated grace. She picked up the IV needle and placed it on the table with a grimace, and Daniel laughed, making her turn those worrying eyes back to his face.

"Maybe I should have let the nurse look you over." She reached for the call button hanging near the bed, but Daniel grabbed her hand, pulling her down to sit next to him.

"No, I'm, I'm okay, really. I just…" His gaze swept over her face like he was memorizing every curve and angle. He reached up and brushed his thumb against her cheek, tucking a few stray locks of hair behind her ear. "I just missed you. That's all."

"Missed me?" She tilted her head as much as his hand would allow. "I'm right in front of you. Besides, if anyone has the right to be upset here, it's me, what with you and Cameron and Samantha all passing out like that." She frowned at him, and would have undoubtedly tossed her hair over her shoulder if he hadn't still been holding his palm against her cheek. He let his fingers stroke down her neck, reveling in the feel of her, living and whole, in front of him, before sliding them to the back of her neck. He felt the smooth, unbroken skin there and felt his grip on what was real and what wasn't firm up just a bit more.

"Daniel? Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's all right." He looked at her, searching her face once more, one stubborn, lingering doubt still whispering in the back of his mind. He saw it then, the way her face turned toward his, the feel of her just in the same room, the part of him that reached for her and pulled her close. _This is right._ With a smile, Daniel tugged her forward to meet him as his lips sought hers, tasting her and hope and the future all in one long overdue kiss. They pulled back and Daniel slid his arms comfortably around her waist, smiling at her like a fool.

"What was that for?" She chuckled, winding her own arms around his neck, and letting her fingers wander through his hair.

"I missed you." He stated simply, not quite able wipe the grin off his face yet.

"If that's what you do for missing me, remind me to go away more often."

"No." He shook his head, instantly serious, and pulled her as close as he could at the angle they're were at. "No, if we do this, Vala…I don't think I can stand to lose anything else. If I lost you-"

This time it was her who tugged him in for a kiss, stealing his words and his train of thought right out of his mouth.

"Don't worry, darling." Vala's eyes gave that mischievous sparkle he loved as she swung one leg over him to settle in his lap. He had a flash of their first meeting, all fists and taunts, and found he liked this even better. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, her hair surrounding him in that earthy, jasmine scented perfume she used his credit card on. "I'm like a bad penny. I always turn up."

Daniel laughed again as he moved in for another kiss. "Thank god for that."

She leaned back at the last second, her hand coming up to stroke his face. "I mean it, Daniel. Something tells me we'll be all right."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know." As he leaned in for what was sure to be a procession of kisses, Daniel felt it again, filling him up from the inside out.

_This is right. This will last._

fin


End file.
